Spotlight PR brings quality public relations assistance into reach for mission-driven causes as well as socially conscious entrepreneurs, celebrities and executives.

Author: Spotlight Team

Leading Reparations Expert Calls for Process Review on Washington Reparations Study

Posted on



OLYMPIA, Wash. — As Washington state looks to be the third state in the nation to pursue a statewide reparations study, Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter today released an open letter to Washington State Attorney General Nicholas Brown. Dr. Hunter is a professor of Sociology and African American Studies and the author of “Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation.”

This letter followed Dr. Hunter’s struggle to obtain a debrief and submit a protest regarding the process and selection in the State of Washington Department of Commerce’s Charles Mitchell and George Washington Bush Study on Reparative Action. His experiencing studying and contributing to reparations commissions situate him as a clear expert for the study, yet he was repeatedly denied the due process that he was entitled to.

As an esteemed academic with nationwide recognition for his reparations research and advocacy, Dr. Hunter raised concerns about the harms caused by procedural failures and performative equity when considering reparations.

“Reparations demand more than aspiration,” Dr. Hunter said. “They demand institutional courage. They demand procedural truth. This request is not about reversing an award. It is about safeguarding the architecture of justice at the very moment a state attempts to give it form.”

The open letter to State Attorney General Nicholas Brown is available in its entirety here: https://www.marcusanthonyhunter.com/rol

If you are interested in discussing this matter with Dr. Hunter further, please contact press@spotlightpr.org.

###

Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter is a sociologist and public scholar whose work focuses on Black communities, urban policy, and reparative justice. He is the author of “Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation.”

Revolve Fund to Provide $20,000 to Support Food Access Efforts in Alabama Black Belt

Posted on

For Immediate Release

SELMA – As over 40 million Americans grappled with the reality of not being able to feed themselves or their families due to SNAP delays, Revolve Fund is seeking to help. Revolve Fund today announced a $20,000 community grant to the Black Belt Community Foundation as part of the duo’s continued partnership. The grant will increase the foundation’s capacity to execute programs and fundraise to support food access efforts in the Alabama Black Belt region.

“Revolve Fund complements its core mission of improving capital access for entrepreneurs by partnering with leading organizations that are addressing critical community needs,” said James Wahls, Founder and Managing Director, Revolve Fund. “Like BBCF, Revolve understands at the most fundamental level, everyone should have access to healthy food.”

“BBCF is deeply grateful for the Revolve Fund’s grant to underwrite direct food support in the Black Belt during the current disruption of SNAP benefits, continuing high food costs and unprecedented strain on our local food banks,” said Christopher Spencer, President & CEO, Black Belt Community Foundation. “As BBCF mobilizes resources and community partners during this time, Revolve is one of the first philanthropic organizations to step forward to support our Food for Families in the Black Belt Campaign. We look ahead to our productive, continued partnership with them to positively impact and transform the Black Belt region of Alabama.”

“While our communities need and deserve so much more, we hope our contribution will support the foundation’s ability to work with other philanthropic partners, individual donors, charities, and public partners.” Wahls added.

###

470,000 Faces of Hunger: The Urgent Call to Save SNAP

Posted on
For Immediate Release
 
 
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Charles Coe, executive director and chief brand compliance officer of the Incredible Kids Learning Organization, today lamented the devastating impacts of the loss of SNAP benefits on children, child care providers and parents. Warning that parents are on a hamster wheel and lacking critical resources, he released the following statement:
 
“If child care providers, many of whom are already struggling, must now work in an environment where SNAP is not available to families they serve, the pain will be compounded. It’s terrifying for them, but also for parents.
 
“It is horrifying for parents to reckon with not being able to feed their children. It’s equally frightening for child care providers to question how they’ll care for kids in their program, at a time when so many lifeline services are being decimated.
 
 
“The loss of SNAP benefits will put more stress on parents and child care providers. Parents often pride themselves on being able to put food on the table. When they cannot do that, it strikes at the core of what it means to be a provider and protector.”
 
 
“We are already living in a period where parents are running on hamster wheels due to a lack of resources. Many parents feel that they may not have the biggest, most fabulous homes; but if they have food to feed their children, they’re content. The loss of SNAP benefits strips away everything that parents cherish.
 
 
“Meals are more than sustenance. Families bond over meals, share admiration for each other over meals, hear updates on the day, and plan the future. Simply put, the family unit is disrupted when there is no food. The love of parents is reflected in the meals they’re able to provide, in the notes they put in their children’s snack pack, and so much more. It is essential that our leaders do everything they can to ensure parents can feed their children.”
###

The Scariest Halloween Ever: Child Care Educators Lament the Dire Predicament of Millions of Families

Posted on
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Early child care educators and advocates today tried to image the scariest part of Halloween 2025, alternating between the government shutdown, the potential loss of SNAP benefits as well as possible Head Start cuts. Even before the shutdown, many families were tinkering on the brink of disaster. Many have yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Early childhood education advocates issued the following statement:

 

“Ninety percent of the families in our community are in distress,” said Ifrah Nur of Kids Count on Us in Minnesota. “They struggle every day just to meet their basic needs and are on the verge of losing their homes. The income they earn barely covers rent — just enough to keep a roof over their heads. If food assistance (SNAP) is taken away, I don’t know what will happen. Not being able to feed their children would create unimaginable hardship.”

“One parent told me her entire paycheck goes toward rent. After that, she has only $100 left, which must cover utilities,” Nur continued. “She’s a mother of four, without a car, and she can’t afford clothes or shoes for her children. She said, “If I don’t get food benefits this month, I’ll have to use my rent money to buy food. And if I do that, I’ll lose my home.” This is not okay. Families who already have nothing are being punished while those with wealth lose nothing during a government shutdown. The system must protect the most vulnerable — not take away the little support they have left.”
“The people we work with in Georgia will feel real, tangible, deep cuts of not only the government shutdown but proposed budget cuts,” said Erin Clark, an organizer with 9to5 Georgia. “We are seeing that many Head Start programs will face dire circumstances come November 1 when over 140 programs will not receive funding if the government shutdown continues. Not being able to access child care or Head Start programs will impact parents’ ability to go to work and to continue contributing to their workplaces.”
According to the First Five Years Fund, one in three child care providers is facing food insecurity. Losing access to SNAP will have massive ripple effects on the child care industry, both for families and for providers. Reports indicate that than 40 million Americans may go hungry due to a loss of SNAP benefits.
“We know that early childhood educators in Georgia largely rely on programs like SNAP, so we are going to see big impacts not just on families but also for our early childhood educators,” said Clark. “There are a number of providers who will pay from their own pockets to help subsidize child care for parents who may not be able to pay that child care bill week-to-week because they feel very deeply for these experiences that parents are going through. This government shutdown is just highlighting the continued need for long-term investment in child care so that our providers are able to respond to these moments and are better funded.”
“Hearing that families might not have access to food subsidies, means that we must figure out how we can support them,” said Tarrezz Thompson, an Ohio child care provider and advocate with The CEO Project. “We don’t want parents in a position where they’re having to make difficult choices [about how to eat].”
###

Child Care Advocates Fear What Will Happen When SNAP Benefits Cease; Urge Action on Shutdown as Lifeline Programs Face Cuts

Posted on

For Immediate Release

SAVANNAH, GA – It’s been nearly one month since the federal government shutdown, and child care educators today voiced concern over the dire circumstances facing children, families and child care educators. With funds to programs like SNAP and Head Start running out, many providers fear the families they serve will be unable make ends meet. Erin Clark, a child care organizer with 9to5 Georgia; and Tarrezz Thompson, a child care provider in Ohio, expressed concern for the families they work with on a day-to-day basis. You can watch/listen to their comments here and here.

“The people we work with in Georgia will feel real, tangible, deep cuts of not only the government shutdown but proposed budget cuts,” said Erin Clark, an organizer with 9to5 Georgia. “We are seeing that many Head Start programs will be facing dire circumstances come November 1 when over 140 programs will not receive their funding if the government shutdown continues. Not being able to access child care, Head Start programs, will impact parents’ ability to go to work and to continue contributing to their workplaces.

“We also know that early childhood educators in Georgia largely rely on programs like SNAP, so we are going to see big impacts not just on families but also for our early childhood educators,” said Clark. “There are a number of providers who will pay from their own pockets to help subsidize child care for parents who may not be able to pay that child care bill week-to-week because they feel very deeply for these experiences that parents are going through. This government shutdown is just highlighting the continued need for long-term investment in child care so that our providers are able to respond to these moments and are better funded.” According to the First Five Years Fund, one in three child care providers is facing food insecurity. Losing access to SNAP will have massive ripple effects on the child care industry, both for families and for providers.

“Hearing that families will be in a place where they might not have access to food subsidies, means that we must figure out how we can support them,” said Tarrezz Thompson, an Ohio child care provider and advocate with The CEO Project. “We don’t

want to parents in a position where they’re having to make difficult choices [about how to eat].”

“This is not the first time I’ve had to operate in a space where we’re dealing with food insecurity with our children, but my program was in a more stable space when that was happening,” Thompson added.

###

Despite Wins in a Handful of States, More Action is Needed on Child Care  

Posted on
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Movement at the federal level on child care continues to stall amid partisan fights. What’s more, the Big Beautiful Bill Act will reduce states’ access to federal dollars for health and food nutrition. Now more than ever, organizers must passionately advocate for state investments in child care and other supportive services. This is the only way to keep young families whole.
Fortunately, grassroots organizers are pushing back on cuts and harmful policies to win change for children and families. Over the past several months, child care providers and advocates defeated policies that would have pushed child care out of reach for hundreds of thousands of individuals and families. Below is a list of some of the defensive gains. If you’d like to speak with any of the groups below, please let us know.
No matter how dire the moment, we know that we can win if we refuse to quit. These victories demonstrate that when parents, child care providers and advocates work together, they can move mountains on behalf of children and the early childhood educators who serve them.
“While children and families still live in a world where lifeline services – such as housing assistance, food assistance, and a fully-funded child care system – are undermined, we will not surrender hope,” said Lenice C. Emanuel, Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice.
###

The VRA at 60: the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is Both a Bedrock and a Target

Posted on
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter, author of “Radical Reparations: Healing the Soul of a Nation,” and professor of sociology and African American studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, released the following statement:
“Representing a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 increased voter access and civic engagement, removing racially-motivated systemic barriers to the ballot box.
“As we mark the anniversary of this landmark legislation, we recognize the active attacks on democracy, voter suppression, and the inability to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Bill.
“Sixty years later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is both bedrock and a target requiring vigilance and renewed commitment to defending and ensuring voting rights for all Americans. We uplift and venerate the legacy of all of the courageous people who marched from Selma to Montgomery and remind ourselves that democracy belongs to every citizen regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, background, or zip code.”
###

Child Care Advocates Lament One Big Beautiful Bill Act as ‘Big Betrayal Act’

Posted on
Image preview
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON – At a time of rising costs, and escalating pressure, early childhood education advocates today reacted to the Senate’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“The passage of the reconciliation bill re-affirms the administration’s and congress’s assault on families across the country,” said Lorena Garcia, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition. “Families will hurt and suffer and in turn our communities will struggle to thrive. Senate leaders affirmed that the needs of everyday families must be sacrificed for the greed of the wealthy.”
Yale’s Budget Lab found that the bill will result in the bottom 40% of American households losing income, while the top 0.1% gain an extra $118,000. These giveaways to the ultra-wealthy, corporations, and Big Oil are coupled with billions of dollars for the already-bloated Pentagon budget and the Trump immigration agenda. This does not advance our child care agenda even marginally. 
“While Republicans prioritize tax breaks for billionaires, they’re simultaneously stripping away basic healthcare and support systems from those who need them most,” said Danielle Atkinson, Executive Director, Mothering Justice. “Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” should actually be called the “Big Betrayal Bill”—because if it’s passed into law the wealth gap in this country will widen to astronomical levels. Mothers of color and working families across the country did not elect their representatives to protect the ultra-wealthy. The GOP made one thing clear: if they are left in charge, working class families will always come last.
“Through their budget priorities, all three branches of government are putting their values on full display and the stakes for our communities couldn’t be higher,” said LaDon Love, executive director, SPACEs in Action.
“Make no mistake about it, this policy decision will reverberate across generations, making the difference between who can eat, who can care for their families, and who can otherwise survive,” said Lenice Emanuel, executive director, Alabama Institute for Social Justice.
###

United Women in Faith to Join New York Liberty at Barclays Center, Celebrate Mission

Posted on
For Immediate Release
From left to right, Sally Vonner, Hazel McIntosh, Kenya Roberts and Gail Douglas Boykin represented United Women in Faith as “Nonprofit of the Game” with the New York Liberty in 2024.
NEW YORK CITY – United Women in Faith believes it’s important to support women in the church and in the community. That’s why we’re proud to partner with the New York Liberty. At 2:30 p.m. on July 13, representatives of United Women in Faith will take the court for a special event. This on-court event at the Barclays Center will uplift United Women in Faith’s mission of empowering women, children and youth through love, peace and justice. It will also continue the legacy of the Liberty’s dedication to social justice and collaboration with non-profit organizations.
“I am thrilled to join our sisters at the New York Liberty to celebrate our shared mission of justice,” said Sally Vonner, General Secretary and CEO of United Women in Faith, who will be attending on behalf of the organization. “These players are champions of women’s rights in addition to being reigning champions of the WNBA.”
Tickets to support United Women in Faith and attend the game will be available through June 15 at this link. The event will take place at 2:30 p.m., before the game begins at 3:00 p.m. This is the second year of collaboration between the organizations, with United Women in Faith honored as “nonprofit of the game” in 2024.
“Compassion and justice have a place in every part of life, and the court is not excluded from this,” said Vonner. “It is through these connections and collaborations that we all continue to empower women and touch the lives of so many.”
WHO: United Women in Faith
New York Liberty Basketball Team
 
WHAT: On-Court Event at New York Liberty v. Atlanta Dream
 
WHEN: July 13, 2:30 p.m. EST
 
WHERE: Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11217, US
###
United Women in Faith is a sisterhood acting in faith to tackle the hard work of the world without hesitation.

Revolve Fund Partners with Just Futures

Posted on
For Immediate Release
BALTIMORE – All people deserve access to a dignified retirement. But the on ramp to launch retirement plans for small businesses and nonprofits can be steep. The Revolve Fund is working with Just Futures to help. The Revolve Fund today announced an expanded grant partnership with Just Futures to support smaller nonprofits in Baltimore. Revolve’s initial grant investment in late 2024 was designed to support Just Futures as they support nonprofit organizations in developing retirement plans and investments that are aligned with their values.
“Along with real estate, retirement accounts represent one of the largest assets for many Americans,” said James Wahls, managing director of Revolve Fund. “Many smaller nonprofit leaders are unable to offer retirement accounts because setting them up can be costly. Leaders are often focused on the work in front of them – the fires that must be extinguished – rather than retirement planning. Just Futures rectifies the retirement conundrum by lowering the barriers to entry for nonprofits and individuals.”
“In 2022, almost half of American households had no savings in retirement accounts, according to the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF).” Of those who do have retirement savings, many are not saving enough to sustain their lifestyles when they stop working. Others wonder how to invest ethically with sensitivity to their values.
Beyond investment management, Just Futures offers technical assistance and administrative support for nonprofit leaders looking to establish retirement plans for themselves and their teams. They also lighten the load of overwhelmed human resources staff, managing much of the administrative burdens of setting up retirement accounts. For this partnership, Revolve will identify and subsidize the costs of eligible smaller Baltimore-based nonprofit and social justice organizations to set up retirement plans with Just Futures.
“We know that most Americans are underinvested for retirement,” Wahls said. “For grassroots leaders and others, retirement security is a huge issue. Revolve invested in Just Futures because they help ensure dignified retirements through values aligned investments. Its main customers are missional organizations.”
“We participate in the same rigorous financial analysis as any other investment firm. We also offer a second analysis that is based on values alignment. This ensures that missional organizations can offer their staff retirement options that are values-aligned as opposed to extractive investments that may run counter to the entity’s stated goals.
“As a result of entities like Just Futures, nonprofits don’t have to choose between retirement planning and values alignment. It’s possible to do both,” Wahls said.